Gas-generating furnace.



UNITED 'STATES Patented January 31, 1905.

PATENT- OFFICE. 'i

JOHN H. FOSTER, OF NEW YORKN. Y.

GAS-GENERATING FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '781.141, dated January 31, 1905.

Application fila. November 11, `1903. Serial No. 180,716,

To all whom it may concern.:

Y Beit known that I, J oHivH. FosrER, a citi! Zen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough iof Brooklyn, in

the county of Kings and State of New York,`

have invented a new and Improved Gas-Grenerating Furnace, lof Awhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a simple form of furnace, single'or in multiple, in which is provided a burner or retort capable of receivingsteam and oil under compression or air and oil under compression, or simply a natural gas, and toso construct the retort or burner that the fuel willbe driven to the rear ofthe burner or retort, where it is deflected and returned in direction of the source of supply by reason ofthe cooperating expansion and compression of the fuel due to the extraneous heating of the burner-shell prior to the initial supply and the continued heating .after the supply is turned on, and, further, to provide apertures in the burnershell through which the ignited gases escape into a receiving-chamber having distributed air-supply from the outside atmosphere, the commingled gases and air being conducted directly to the boiler-tubes, engaging with all the tube-surface, and providing a maximum of heat in the furnace and at the boilertubes and a minimum of escape ofheat at the stack. In fact, the object of the invention is to secure a perfect impact of the products of combustion on the boiler-tubes and to provide a perfect combustion at high vtemperature, insuring a perfect oxidation of the fuel. A further purpose ofthe invention is to provide an inner and an outer wall forvthe furnace and an air-space between the two, especially at the sides and back, enabling the inner walls to attain an intense heat, 'while the outer walls will be comparatively cool. The prime features of the invention are to provide a lburner or retort that fires its gases parallel with its base and against highly-heated walls, which by radiation and deflection conduct the products of combustion uniformly to the boiler, dispensing with all baffle-plates, as the side walls act largelyin such capacity. The invention consists in the novel con- -struction and combination of the several parts, asV` will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through a portion of the generating-furnace and a portion of the boiler-tubes, the section being taken practically on the line 1 1 of Fig'. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line Q 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the rear end of the burner or retort and its controlling-foot.

In the drawings I have shown the double form of gas-generating furnace; but the said furnace is located within a single outer casing, and three or more furnaces may be included within the casing, each independent of the other,or the furnace may be of the single type and located within a single casing, as may be desired.. The casing for the furnace proper consistsof side walls A, a rear wall A', and a front wall A2. y j

When the furnace is of the double type shown in the drawings, it consists of side walls B, a rear wall B', and a party-wall B2, the side walls and party-wall being made to engage with or abut against the front wall A2 of the outer section or' casing of the furnace. At the front of Lthe furnace each division thereof is provided with an ash-pit door 10,'a door 11,'through which fuel is introduced, and an upper door 12, which latter door admits of access to the boiler-tubes 13, which are arranged in suitable tiers above each compartment of the furnace, as is shown inFig.' 1. A space 14 is made to intervene between the side walls B and the rear wall B of the furnace properand the corresponding walls 'A and A of the casing for the said furnace.

The side walls B of the furnace proper are braced, preferably, by means of suitable stays 15, of any desired character.

Each division C and O of the furnace, one division' being located at each side of the party-wall B2. is provided with a lower horizontal partition 16, extending from end to end of the furnace-compartment, and said Ion partition may be permanently placed or may be removable, and this partition corresponds in position to that of a grate, and the said partitions 16 may be substituted by gratebars. As shown, however, thehorizontal partitions 16 are of less width between their ends than the width of the compartments in whichI they are placed.

- The supports for the partitions 16 are divided, preferably, into three air-ducts 17, 18, and 19, the air-duct 19 being the central duct. As is shown in Fig. 2, the air-ducts 17 and 18 extend from the front of the furnace to a point at or near the center and are there partitioned; but the central duct 19 extends into the rear portion 19a of the chamber or compartment of the furnace in which the ducts are located, as is also shown in Fig. 2, so that the central duct 19 supplies air to the rear portion' of a compartment of the furnace, while the side duets 17 and 18 supply air to the side portions of the said compartments, the air being admitted to the upper portion of the compartment or that portion above the horizontal partition 16 through the medium of suitable side ducts 17L and 18u. The air which is supplied to the rear portion of each compartment at the bottom is admitted to the corresponding upper portion of the compartments through the medium of side ducts 19h, and these duets 17, 18, and 19b are formed by reason of the said partition 16 being narrower between its ends than the space between the side walls of the compartment in which the said partition is placed.

Each compartment C and C of the furnace is provided with a retort or burner D, extending practically from the front to the rear. This burner is made, preferably, of wrought iron, and consists of an outer shell having a head 2O at the front, screwed or otherwise removably connected therewith, and a rear head 21, which is welded to the body of the shell..

A foot 22 is secured to the rear head 21, as is shown best in Figs. 2 and 3, which foot rests upon a suitable foundation 229, erected on a horizontal partition 16, and the said foot 22.

serves to hold stationary the burner or retort to which it isattached, acting eectuallyA to prevent the burner from rocking.

The shell of each burner or retort D is provided with series of apertures 23, arranged along its side portions in preferably longitudinal alinement, and a tube 24 is introduced through the front of the furnace into each compartment C and C, which tube extends centrally longitudinally through the shell of the burner, terminating short of its rear head 21, as is illustrated in Fig. 2. Steam and. oil or air and oil or a natural gas is forced under compression from any suitable source of supply through the tube 24 of a burner or retort D into the same. Previous, however, to the introduction of the fuel a fire is made on the partitions 16 around the burners or retorts until the said burners or retorts have been thoroughly heated. Then after the fuel is introduced it passes out through the pipe 2t, at the rear end thereof, and divergcs, as is shown by the arrows in Fig. 2, and the gases resulting from the fuel engaging with the heated shell of the retort or burner pass out at each side of the induction-tube 24 and out through the apertures 23, it being understood that the gases thus passing out from the retort or burner are ignited and are in the form of a iiame. These heated products of combustion pass up to the boiler-tubes 13, upon which they directly impinge and uniformly heat the said tubes. During the progress of combustion the inner walls B, B', and B become thoroughly heatedMin fact, reach almost a. white heatanol the space 14C between the inner and outer walls of the furnace serves to retain the heat in the inner walls and to keep the outer wallscomparatively cool. ln fact, the inner walls of the furnace serre as baffles, directing the products of combustion directly to the boiler-tubes.

In the single form of furnace the inner side walls may be of the same height; but in the double form of furnace illustrated the party or intermediate wall B2 is made of less height than the side walls and the rear wall, as is shown in Fig. 1, enabling any surplus of heat to pass from one compartment or chamber of the furnace to the other.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that liquid fuel combined with air or steam under pressure or natural gas is forced tothe rear of the burner or retort and is then deiiected and returned in the form of ignited gas in direction of the source of supply by reason of the expansion and compression due to the heated shell of the burner or retort, which gaseous fuel at a high temperature escapes through apertures in the sides of the burner or retort, impinging upon the sidewalls, which are heated to a maximum degree, and said products of combustion are brought into direct and uninterrupted contact with the boiler-tubes, quickly and instantaneously heating the same. In fact, a perfect combustion is obtained at a high temperature and also a perfect oxidation of the fuel, nearly all of the heat being' retained in the furnace for action upon the boiler-tubes or for other purposes, comparatively little heat finding an exit at the stack.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A furnace having in its lower portion a horizontal partition of less width than the fu rnace and extending from end to end thereof, air-ducts below the partition, the side duets extending from the front of the furnace to about the center thereof, and communicating with the spaces between the partition and the walls of the furnace and the center one, leading from the front and extending into the rear IOO portion of the furnace, and aburner or retort supported on the said partition, as set forth.

2. A furnace having double walls, and provided with a-horizontal partition in its lower portion, said partition being of less width than the furnace and extending from end to end thereof, air-ducts below the partition, the side ducts leading` from the front of the furnace to about the center thereof and the center one leading from the front and extending into` the rear portion of the furnace, and a burner or retort supported on horizontal partitions, and comprising a shell having side apertures and an induction-tube extending into the shel1,as set forth.

3. In a furnace, an outer wall for the same, inner walls spaced from the outerV wall, anda burner or retort in the chamber formed by the inner walls, whichburner or retort consists of a shell having closed ends and provided with side apertures, and an induction-tube extending the front end of the shell into the saine and to a point near the rear end thereof, as set forth.

4. In a furnace, an outer wall or casing, an

within the said retort or burner to near the inner end thereof, and air-passages extending from the front of the furnace to the side portions of the said retort or burner, as set forth.

' inner wall or casing spaced from the outer wall or casing and constituting a chamber, a retort or burner located within the chamber, having side openings, 4an induction-tube extending within the said retort or burner to near the inner endv thereof, air-passages extending from the front of the burner to the side portions of the said retort or burner, a foot for the rear end of the shell or body of the burner or retort and a support for the said foot, which support is. above the level of the air-passages, as and for the purpose described.

6. In a furnace, an outer wall or casing, an inner wall or casing spaced from the outer wall or casing, a horizontal partition in the lower portion of the furnace, and extending the length thereof, said partition being of less width than the space between the inner walls or casing and provided with ducts, and a burner or retort extending from the front to rear of the furnace, said burner comprising an outer shell having apertures in its side portions and a tube extending'to nearly the inner end of the shell, as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

J FRED. ACKER, JNO. M. RITTER. 

